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The easiest solution: Put the TV on a piece of furniture you do like. Really, who says you can’t set a TV on a cool coffee table against the wall? Or on an antique wooden credenza that was sitting in the dining room? Once you’ve set up your television, decorate the area with beautiful items to take the focus away from the cable box. Try bookending some art books on either side of the TV, or lay one or two on it. Or, add a vase of lucky bamboo on the table next to the screen. If you have some old or ugly surround sound speakers, wrap them in a fabric you like (yep, the sound will go through it). Or relocate those ugly wires and boxes to a new place entirely, like a nearby closet. This can, however, cause an issue with the remote, so consider getting a system with a wireless signal.

Nestpert Johnny White, interior design consultant and art director for Bravo’s Top Design and Top Chef 

-- Amy Spencer

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